The Song of Hezekiah - Biblical

In the prime of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol;
I am deprived of the rest of my years.
I said, I shall not see the Lord,
the Lord in the land of the living;
I shall look upon mortals no more
among the inhabitants of the world.
My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me
like a shepherd's tent;
like a weaver I have rolled up my life;
he cuts me off from the loom;
from day to night you bring me to an end.
I cry for help until morning;
like a lion he breaks all my bones;
from day to night you bring me to an end.
Like a swallow or a crane I clamor,
I moan like a dove.
My eyes are weary with looking upward.
O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security!
But what can I say? For he has spoken to me,
and he himself has done it.
All my sleep has fled
because of the bitterness of my soul.
O Lord, by these things people live,
and in all these is the life of my spirit.
Oh, restore me to health and make me live!
Surely it was for my welfare
that I had great bitterness;
but you have held back my life
from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins behind your back.
For Sheol cannot thank you,
death cannot praise you;
those who go down to the pit cannot hope
for your faithfulness.
The living, the living, they thank you,
as I do this day;
parents make known to children
your faithfulness.

The Song of Hezekiah lyrics move from the bitterness of facing death to the joy of restoration. The King writes 'You have held back my life from the pit of destruction.' It is a deeply personal canticle that explores the vulnerability of the human condition and the power of prayer. By singing the Song of Hezekiah lyrics the faithful acknowledge their dependence on the Lord for every breath and celebrate the God who hears our cries and adds to our days with His mercy.